Oh, Internet! - How I fell in love with The Stringbow Trio (and I bet you´ll, too)

One minute and fifty seconds. That´s all it took for me to fall in love with the Slovakian Stringbow Trio. When that short video hit my Facebook timeline, I knew it was time for me to pay attention and listen carefully. The record was from a live performance at a summer festival in Trnava, one of the many cities in Slovakia where the band performs their irresistible mixture to always crowded, enchanted audiences. Suddenly, the video is gone, followed by another one and before you know it, the internet ocean drowned you again. But not this time, I thought. I had to learn more about those extraordinaire musicians! First, I could find they came from Topolcany, a city founded in the 9th century that used to be a regional market centre during the Middle Ages and a crossroads of trade routes. Classy, all right! That explains the cosmopolitan flair of the Trio formed by: Adam Halás (21), Violin; Rastislav Sumega (20), Guitar and Lukáš Deviatka (20), Upright bass. But who were those guys? Searching for the 1:15 video post once again, I came to Adam, the violin player and voice of the Trio, when it comes to international relationships:

(GF) How would you describe the repertoire of the Stringbow Trio? By the way, how did you guys come to that name?

(AH) The name of the band was created by the words string and bow, meaning the violin bow. Our repertoire consists of songs from all over the world, including famous compositions, which are arranged in an original way. We also like to play songs from Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, in French string jazz style. In other worlds, it is music without borders.

(GF) I would definitely say you guys get a touch of Latin Jazz in your tunes, too. It is really impressive!

(AH) It´s just creativity and music fusion, but I would say that, if there´s something special about our style of playing, it is the fact that the Trio consists only of string instruments. I believe that this unusual formation gives our music a unique sound.

(GF) Your live videos show a very dynamic stage performance and I would say you´ve probably known each other for a while. How did you guys meet and when did the Trio started?

(AH) We are classical trained musicians, so we all met at the Conservatory. That´s where we started to make music together. Although we also perform as soloists in Chamber orchestras, jazz groups, tango orchestras and many other formations, the Trio itself started performing internationally in 2017, after we got the price at the New Faces of Slovak Jazz competition.

(GF) Future plans?

(AH) The Trio will record its first album. We don´t have a release date yet, but we will come with more information by the end of the Summer. You have something to look forward to!

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The repertoire of this jazz singer and awarded songwriter from Rio de Janeiro reveals influences of Brazilian popular music, the French chanson and Latin American rhythms, but most of all, Geisa Fernandes is a jazz singer. Billie Holiday aficionada (back in college folksused to call her "Lady Doc"), this PhD holder and Comics researcher wasaformer vocalist of several bands in São Paulo.

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